Red
by bluebacon
Summary: Everyone assumed that at the battle between Astro Boy and the Peacekeeper the red core was destroyed. Boy, were they wrong. But their problems only start when a girl stupidly swallows the only piece left of the core, receiving strange powers. But with her impish nature, it's unsure where her true loyalties lie. And a certain robot has the job of insuring that its on the good side.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Astro Boy, and I never will. ;-;**

**Warning: swearing **

* * *

Chapter 1

A young girl of 13 years looked at the obstacle with determination. The building was 10 times taller than what she was used to climbing, but she loved challenges.

She got a firm hold of the bumpy sides and started to climb her way up. She carefully placed a sneaker-clad foot on the edge of a window, being as quiet as a mouse.

The girl didn't want the cleaning robots around the corner to see her and ruin her fun.

She peered into the window; her target was inside. She whipped out her trusty telescope out of her pocket and put it to her eye, her legs wrapped around the rainwater pipe.

She watched with interest as Dr. Tenma, one of the most respected men in Metro City, discussed something (probably very important) with a bunch of other scientists. The screen that they were watching had blurry images of a blue and red gemstone and a bunch of fine print on it.

The girl frowned; the spyglass wasn't good enough, she'd have to go in and see it for herself.

Just as she was about to bust open the window, a loud voice boomed from below her.

"What in the blazes are you doing up there?! Get down from that building this instant!' yelled a security guard from below.

She grinned cheekily at him. "Why? I like it up here."

"Don't get smart with me, kid! That building is private property and I could arrest you right now for trespassing! Now come down before you kill yourself!" He commanded, narrowing his eyes.

The girl completely ignored him this time, and grabbed the bottom of the window. She pulled it up, half expecting the window to be locked. It slid up easily.

"Wow. Just my luck," she announced. "See ya!" she called to the guard, slipping inside the building and pulling it shut.

* * *

The security guard watched her disappear inside the window and steam practically came out of his ears. He gritted his teeth and went inside; he was so going to find that little troublemaker.

* * *

She poked her head up from behind the table. The girl was in what looked to be a science lab.

There were several images on a see-through screen; the red gemstone she saw earlier, the blue one, a boy with weird hair, and a bunch of other sciencey stuff.

The scientists were talking all hush-hush with Dr. Tenma, and the screen showed the boy with weird hair punching the lights out of a giant robot.

_Oh, wasn't that the Peacekeeper President Stone was talking about on the news a while ago?_ She thought. But she had no clue who the boy was.

But, back to the screen, as the boy beat up the Peacekeeper, the screen zoomed in on the robot's chest, where the red gemstone glowed. It showed the gem crack, and then, a small, tiny piece the size of a fingernail broke off of the gem, and fell to the ground.

One of the scientists surrounding Dr. Tenma, a stout, big-nosed man froze the screen just as the piece broke off and pointed frantically at it, his eyes wide, saying things that were to quiet for the girl to understand.

Dr. Tenma stared at the screen, a mix of worry and concern on his face, and he ordered that the other scientists leave. He and the short man talked alone.

The girl blinked her eyes lazily; this was starting to get a bit boring. She shifted a bit, her legs were starting to fall asleep, and yawned loudly.

But, unfortunately, she yawned a bit too loudly.

Dr. Tenma and the short scientist snapped their heads in her direction.

She widened her eyes and sweat dropped as they speed-walked towards her. _Please don't see me, please don't see me_...She silently prayed, biting her chapped lower lip.

She was completely oblivious to the cowlick at the top of her head bobbing back and forth; which the two doctors could see clear as day.

The taller man leaned over the table and gave her a fierce glare. "What are you doing here?!" demanded Dr. Tenma.

"Shit," she muttered as she desperately tried to come up with an excuse.

The 13 year old smiled nervously at them. "Umm..." A lightbulb lit up above her and she pointed behind them. "LOOK BEHIND YOUU!" she screamed, hoping that they would.

Dr. Tenma raised an eyebrow. "You seriously think that I would fall for that? That's the oldest trick in the boo-" he started, but the girl was already gone.

He widened his eyes and looked under the table; he saw a glimpse of her crawling under there and then scrambling out the door like a chicken with its head cut off.

She dashed away, running as fast as her scrawny little legs could. The girl heard loud thumping behind her; the security guards were probably on her tail.

She silently urged her legs to run faster, and whipped around a corner, whamming into something solid.

The girl was knocked backwards and she fell on the floor, cursing like a sailor on the way. The person she ran into just stood there looking confused.

It was that weird boy she saw on the screen in the lab.

He walked towards her and stretched out his hand to help her up. "Hey, um, you alright?" He started.

The girl heard the running behind her and quickly got to her feet, ignoring the boy's hand and shoving him out of the way. He, taken by surprise, stumbled back, but the girl payed no attention to him. She was focused on getting the hell outta here.

* * *

The guard that saw the brat earlier that morning ran up to Dr. Tenma's supposed son.

"Hey, have you seen a kid with freckles and a baseball cap run around here by any chance?"

The black-haired boy nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, went over there, I think," he shrugged.

The guard grinned through his mask and saluted his thanks.

* * *

"Dammit!" the girl said loudly as she came across a dead end.

She was just about to run in the opposite direction, but felt a rough hand yank her up.

She dangled there as the security guard held her up by the scruff of her hoodie.

_Shit_.

* * *

**Hello everyone! This is my first Astro Boy fanfic! I hope you like it! :D It's set a year after the movie. **

**If this chapter is a bit confusing, leave a review or PM me and I'll clear things up for you. :)**

**Well, this basically the prologue or 'test chapter' to see if you guys like it. **

**And, yes, it does contain an Oc so if you don't like that then...ya. :P**

**So, leave a review and tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: In which we learn the main character's name. :-)**

**Note: I still don't own Astro Boy.**

**Warning: Swearing**

* * *

Chapter 2

Scout huffed in annoyance as she poked the starch-white wall.

After that security guard bastard caught her, he threw her in this god forsaken cell. It was _way_ too clean for Scout's liking; the place _reeked_ of vinegar. (She didn't know why the sterilization robots working here were so obsessed with the stuff.)

A sliver of sharp metal caught Scout's eye.

_Bingo_.

She grabbed it, and immediately started banging the glass walls of the cell with the item. (The security systems in prison were pretty advanced; she had no chance of picking any locks here, so she had to break the glass if she wanted to make it back home for curfew without getting busted.)

But just as Scout managed to make a crack (the size of a fingernail) on the glass, the spotless, see-through doors opened, and three people waltzed inside.

The first two, she didn't give two flying fucks about who they were, but it was the third one that really made Scout freeze in place.

Marea, AKA the sassiest bot in all of Metro City, stood there in her steel grey high heels, looking around haughtily. Seriously, that robot must have been a defect or something because no other bot has a mind of its own like her; most wouldn't dare talk back, but not Marea. She has a mouth bigger than Dr. Elefun's nose.

And she just happened to be owned by Scout's mother.

"So, I gotta bail ya outta jail, again, huh?" Marea started, putting her hands on her metal waist.

Scout shrugged and grinned lazily. "What can I say, I'm like a magnet; trouble can't help but be attracted to me," She said, leaning against the glass wall of the jail cell. "Now let me out of here, will you?"

Marea scoffed and rolled her beady marble-like eyes. "I have half a mind to leave ya in there if it weren't fer ya Mutter. Da poor lady don't need no more problems; she's a bit...unstable enough as it is."

"Ha. You mean she's completely insane, right?" Scout laughed dryly. Her mom had a reputation for being a bit coo-coo in the head.

The robot held up a hand. "Don' even go there, child. No talking bad bout yer Mutty like that. I could get fired. Not that I would actually leave anyways," Marea huffed, casually examining perfectly manicured fingernails (How can robots have fingernails anyway?!).

The transparent glass wall slid up, and Scout eagerly hopped out, anxious to get out of the vinegar-scented place. But not before a policeman grabbed her upper arm.

"Ugh...Can't I go anywhere without being dragged around by cops?" whined Scout loudly as the second policemen joined the first and they both escorted Scout out of the building, with Marea following close behind.

When they reached the car, Scout practically shoved the police off of her. They are just so annoying sometimes.

Marea sat down on the leather seats and turned on the car. Scout swiftly gave the finger to the retreating cops and jumped in as well.

Marea gave her a disapproving look, not because of the thirteen year old's use of the middle finger, but because of her spot. "Aren't ya supposed to be sittin' in the back?"

"Nah. I'm too awesome," Scout shrugged her off, putting her filthy sneakers on the windshield and gesturing to herself, smiling goofily. "Just look at me!"

"Okay first o' all, you look like a scruffy surface dwellin' _boy_ tha' rolled around in _mud_. And I'm not even gonna ask how you found mud in da first place, considerin' there's little to _none_ here in Metro City."

Scout just grinned at the robot, almost evilly. "I have my ways."

Marea couldn't even look at the girl. "Just put on your seatbelt."

* * *

Scout lived in a fair-sized house, not too big, not too small. It was shaped like the top half of a popsicle; with a curved roof and violet coloured LED trimmings. (Every house here in Metro City had at least _some_ LED decoration; it was "in" for you're house to be lit up at night.)

But Scout's home only looked pleasent to hide the craziness inside.

So just as Marea opened the door, her and Scout immediately ducked. It was a habit of theirs.

And, sure enough, just as the two went down, a glass cup whizzed centimetres away from Scout's cowlick, crashing onto the driveway.

"Well shit, Mom sure is lively today, huh?" joked Scout as she went inside.

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY HOUSE!" said Mom screeched from the kitchen, holding a plate above her head threateningly.

"Vixen, it's Marea and your daughter. Can ya please calm do-"

"NO! I _KNOW_ WHO YOU ARE!" She screamed, attempting to throw the plate at them but missing and hitting the wall instead.

Scout decided to test that. "So who are we then?" she questioned, taking a large bite out of an apple she found on the floor.

She never thought it was possible for her mom to turn that shade of red before.

"YOU'RE THOSE SPARKLE SHMEES FROM BEFORE! YOU EVIL CREATURES; BE GONE!"

Scout rolled her eyes; her mother was spewing nonsense again. She was _way_ too used to this happening.

"Honey, I think that maybe you should go. Just till your Mutter can calm down; 'don't want anyone ta get hurt," The robot whispered, pointing to the door.

Scout nodded and left, apple in hand. "See ya Mom!" she called.

"I can eat my own waffles, thank you very much!"

* * *

Scout skipped along the smooth road, ignoring her mother's hysterical laughing/screaming/crying that could be heard from miles away. Her mother was constantly changing emotions; she acted like she was PMSing 24/7.

And then, all of a sudden, an idea popped into Scout's head. No, not an idea about her mother, but an idea about a _prank_.

She looked at how the road slightly sloped downwards, and then noticed how alot of people were currently walking to and fro, trying to get somewhere on time.

Scout smirked and took out a bag of marbles from her sweater pocket. She double checked to make sure that no one was watching, and crouched. The girl then turned the bag upside down, promptly letting the marbles fall down the road.

Scout then dashed away, giggling like hyena as (one by one) the walkers tripped over them, knocking each other over like dominos.

She loved this place.

As Scout hurdled past the falling pedestrians, she noticed a rather large group of security guards huddled around something across the street. And guess who was in the middle of them all? That's right, Dr. Tenma himself. And that big-nosed scientist too, but no one really cares about him.

Scout let her curiosity get the best of her, and she walked over to them all, ignoring the 'KEEP OUT' signs.

She crawled through the security guards's legs and went on her tiptoes to see what they were looking at; _why were they all so damn tall?!_

Scout still couldn't see _what_ exactly was there, but she saw that it emitted a red glow. She narrowed her eyes and managed to squeeze through them.

On the sidewalk laid a small, crimson-coloured object. It was about the size of a button, and its appearence oddly resembled a red cough drop.

And it looked awfully tempting.

She stared at the (candy?) hungrily. That girl _loved_ candy.

But why would Dr. Tenma and his cronies all crowd around such a small, useless thing? Or rather, a small, useless, _tasty-looking_ thing..

Her thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Tenma was handed a object that looked very similar to a gun. He pointed it at the candy and got ready to fire.

That's when Scout lost it.

"HEY! Don't shoot! It's candy, it never did anything to harm anyone!" Scout shouted at him, keeping a protective arm over said candy. Personally, being the greedy person that she was, Scout wanted the candy all to herself. She didn't want anyone to _destroy_ it!

Dr. Tenma gave her a confused look, and then, after a moment of studying her face, his eyes lit up with recognition.

"You!" he said, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You're that kid who snuck into that confidential seminar earlier!"

"The one and only!" She grinned, making a grab for the red candy. Now was her chance, before he had a chance to shoot.

"WHAT ARE YOU-?!" Scout didn't even let the man finish and popped it in her mouth.

"Huh. Tashes kinda shalty," Scout commented, swallowing the candy.

Dr. Tenma was so shocked he couldn't even speak. He just stood there, looking like Scout just ate a bomb.

So, big-nose man spoke for him. "W-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" He cried, grabbing Scout's thin shoulders.

Scout raised an eyebrow at him. "Ummm...ate a candy...?"

The two scientists would've face palmed if the situation wasn't so extreme.

"YOU SWALLOWED THE LAST PIECE OF THE RED CORE!"

"Ohhhh...wait _what_?!" Scout sputtered, brown eyes wide.

Dr. Elefun sighed loudly. "I said: You. Swallowed. The. LAST. Piece. OF THE RED CORE!" he hissed, trying to talk calmly and not scream the words out at her.

"JESUS CHRIST, YOU'RE SHITTING ME RIGHT?!"

"No we're not, you IDIOT," muttered Dr. Tenma, clearly very stressed out at the moment.

Scout was about to retort when she felt an intense pain in her head. She dropped to the floor, her legs feeling like as if they were made out of rubber. "Dammit my head feels like someone hit it with a sledgehammer..." Scout grumbled, rubbing her temples.

"Maybe that's a side effect..." Big-nose said, his hand holding his chin thoughtfully.

Dr. Tenma looked down at Scout angrily. "C'mon, we have to get you to the lab."

"Hmm...no."

"...Excuse me?!"

"No. I'm not going _anywhere_ with you creepy fucks. Might rape me or something," Scout replied, massaging her aching head.

"R-ra-? What in the world are you talking about?! We are _trying to help you_!" Dr. Elefun tried to reason.

"You will come with us now or else," Dr. Tenma growled. Today really wasn't his day; he seriously needed a coffee.

And how Scout replied didn't really help.

"Never."

"Stubborn child."

All of a sudden, after those words, Scout felt something sharp stab the unprotected skin at the back of her neck. She immediately felt drowsy, and slouched forward, eyes threatening to close.

And then everything went black.

* * *

**What a cliche way to end the chapter lol. ;-;**

**(Extra note: ****Vixen = Scout's mother. Her crazy side is shown in this chapter; she is actually a caring mom, even though she is a bit insane)**

**Sorry for the longish hiatus, but I was busy with school and stuff. I plan on updating every weekend.**

**Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :D Please tell me if there is any spelling errors or if this doesn't make sense! I will fix it! Thanks. **

**Just saying, reviews inspire me to update~! :-)**


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